The morning after: Christmas party excuses

The morning after: Christmas party excuses

07 November 2017 - 15:46

Office Christmas parties tend to have a bad habit of falling on a weekday, but with so much dancing, eating and merry-making involved, it's no surprise that getting up for work the next morning can be a little bit difficult.

One sure way to avoid a hangover? Opting for a Christmas party that's a little less heavy on the alcohol, yet equally as fun. If you ask us, a night go-karting with your colleagues can't be beaten - but what about those who haven't ditched the many, many glasses of wine for four wheels and plenty of thrills?

Making excuses

We asked a selection of workers in the UK if they've ever been guilty of missing work after their Christmas party. Out of those that admitted to skipping work, a huge 60% revealed that, at least once, they've skipped work simply because they were too hungover to face their commitments.

It wasn't just a hangover preventing employees from turning up to work after the Christmas party though. 37% of workers asked have also stayed off because they felt too drunk in the morning, and 34% have also been too tired to turn up to their desks.

But what did they tell their bosses? Some were honest, but many had to get creative. Of course, the obvious excuses cropped up: blaming the Christmas food for stomach aches and food poisoning, falling ill due to a sickness bug or having the flu were all go-to reasons for workers not turning up in the morning. Others, meanwhile, went for something more obscure. Some blamed a lack of public transport, one employee said they had a 'bruised brain' and another stated their absence was down to losing their dog up a mountain!

Strange excuses aside, when it comes to skipping work the day after the Christmas party, Marketing and PR, along with HR and Recruitment, reported only 3% of employees calling in sick. Why do more staff in these sectors turn up compared to others? The answer isn't clear, perhaps they plan their big annual party on a Friday evening, turn up to the office regardless of how they're feeling or rely less on alcohol and opt for a different kind of Christmas party. It could even be a combination of all three!

Add some fuel to your festivities

Nobody wants to be known as the person who drops out of work for having one too many. If you fancy trying something a little bit different for your Christmas party this year, why not book an evening on the tracks, and spend a night going full throttle in a go-kart? Afterwards, you can enjoy a delicious meal and a bottle of fizz to celebrate - Christmas isn't Christmas without a few bubbles after all!

If you think it's about time someone added some fuel to the festivities in your office this year, book one of our Christmas party packages by calling 0333 256 2039* or make an enquiry online. The best part? Nobody will feel the need to call in sick the day after either!

This summer, we asked you guys to design your idea of the most awesome kart ever and wow, the results truly were on fire! Check out some of our winning entries - from eco-friendly karts, unicorn racers, melon fruitiness and sea-side heroes to magical rainbows and flame blasting rockets – thanks to our super awesome designers!

Can you design the most epic kart ever? We're thinking flying karts, bright colours and pure awesomeness! Our favourite designs have the chance to WIN karting and our top designer will also WIN a Super Karts Scalextrics set. All entries must be submitted by 4th September 2017.